1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dispensing cap intended to be fitted to a container containing a fluid product to be dispensed, and to a dispensing assembly equipped with this cap. It is equipped with a stoppering system which can be opened for dispensing the product, and closed for keeping it.
2. Discussion of the Background
Containers fitted with caps of this kind are customarily used in various fields, for storing and dispensing liquid products, for example in the fields of cosmetics, foodstuffs, household, pharmacy or personal hygiene. These products are, in particular, shampoos, antiseptics, household cleaners, or washing-up products. Thanks to the use of a cap of this kind, on the one hand, it is possible, to prevent the product from spilling out during transport and storage and, on the other hand, the product is protected from dirt from the outside. Furthermore, by using such a cap the user can easily and in a controlled way dispense the product contained in the container.
More particularly, the present invention relates to a cap comprising a product-dispensing orifice and a hinged lid, the system for stoppering the orifice consisting of a pip borne by the lid and designed to close this orifice.
The pip introduced into the dispensing orifice needs to fulfil several functions; it must guarantee a good seal; the force required to open it must be reasonable; and, upon opening, an explosive noise must not be produced. These qualities need to be provided throughout the use of the product. Now, with the materials such as polyethylene or polypropylene, commonly used for injection-moulding such caps, dimensional adjustment is very tricky because the tolerances need to remain tighter than 0.05 mm, especially as there is a risk of additional deformation occurring during removal from the mould. Furthermore, under intense use, and through wear of the pip and/or of the orifice, this pip no longer enters the orifice with friction, and leaks of product can therefore occur.
A dispensing cap of the kind mentioned hereinabove is described, for example, in FR-A-2,662,144. This document describes a dispensing cap comprising a dispensing orifice and a hinged lid equipped with a hollow pip, intended to stopper the dispensing orifice when in the storage position, this pip being in the form of a cylindrical skirt. According to this document, the dispensing orifice is made in a flat portion, at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the cap, this portion being made of thermoelastic rubber.
This cap of the prior art has the drawback that when the lid is closed, a relatively high amount of force is needed to engage the pip in the dispensing orifice. This is because during the closure operation, the pip is in contact with the edge of the orifice, and before it engages in the orifice, it pushes the said rubber portion back.
There is also known, from U.S. Pat No. 5,169,035, a cap similar to the aforementioned cap, the dispensing orifice being made by an annular component made of elastomer, which is clipped into an opening in the upper face of the cap and is able to be plugged by a pip carried by the lid articulated to the cap.
Although the cap according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,035 makes it possible to obtain leaktight stoppering of the dispensing orifice by the pip, it does have the following drawbacks: on the one hand, the annular elastomer component has to be quite thick to allow it to be held in the opening of the cap; and on the other hand, the choice of elastomers that can be used for producing the annular piece is limited. This is because with a view to both flexible and leaktight engagement of the pip in the dispensing orifice it would be desirable to use so-called "soft" elastomers (that is to say elastomers with a hardness of less than about 60 Shore A). Now, to ensure that the annular elastomer component is held correctly in place in the opening of the cap, this material has to have a hardness in excess of 60 Shore A, which is prejudicial to the desired flexible operation and desired sealing of the cap. Furthermore, using such a material, the dimensional tolerances on the pip and the tolerances on positioning it with respect to the dispensing orifice may not be very well met. Finally, to mount the annular elastomer component in the orifice from inside the cap is a relatively complicated operation requiring special appropriate tooling.